Photo: A not unexpected image from the inevitable police raid on Gezi Park. The person who sent it to me on FB said, "Share it quick. They're
trying to get it removed."

Police have cleared Istanbul's Gezi Park of protesters and have taken over Taksim Square, a CNN team there says. Obama's favorite and "most trusted" ally -- must be the shared totalitarianism.

Ankara, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish riot police used
water cannons and tear gas Saturday to clear protesters camped out in an
Istanbul park that has become ground zero in anti-government
demonstrations targeting the policies of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

At least 29 people were
injured in clashes as police took Taksim Square and adjacent Gezi Park,
Istanbul Gov. Huseyin Avni Mutlu said in remarks carried on Turkish
television stations.

Police pushed protesters
onto side streets, where many -- with their faces covered with masks
because of tear gas and smoke -- refused to leave and appeared to be
reorganizing.

The move came shortly
after police warned demonstrators who have occupied Istanbul's last
remaining green space for more than two weeks to depart voluntarily or
face being ejected.

The protest that began
over Erdogan's plan to turn the park into a mall devolved into
anti-government demonstrations that has seen demands for political
reforms.

Erdogan said earlier in the day at a rally with supporters that if Gezi Park was not emptied, security forces would clear it.

"If it is not emptied, from now on, this country's security forces will know how to empty that place," he said.

It's the Divan Hotel across from the north (Harbiye)
entrance to the park. The Marmara Hotel on the south side of Taxim
Square was also used by volunteer doctors for some of the 29 (last I
saw) injured.

One of my Turkish friends on FB says to expect
bogus claims that the police found guns, narcotics and other illegal
items in the camping areas to be published by the "so called press"
tomorrow "with no mention of the four and five-year-old children left
breathless by excessive use of teargas". I'm sure any such claims about
guns, narcotics and such will be exactly that, bogus.

Comments

Photo: A not unexpected image from the inevitable police raid on Gezi Park. The person who sent it to me on FB said, "Share it quick. They're
trying to get it removed."

Police have cleared Istanbul's Gezi Park of protesters and have taken over Taksim Square, a CNN team there says. Obama's favorite and "most trusted" ally -- must be the shared totalitarianism.

Ankara, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish riot police used
water cannons and tear gas Saturday to clear protesters camped out in an
Istanbul park that has become ground zero in anti-government
demonstrations targeting the policies of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

At least 29 people were
injured in clashes as police took Taksim Square and adjacent Gezi Park,
Istanbul Gov. Huseyin Avni Mutlu said in remarks carried on Turkish
television stations.

Police pushed protesters
onto side streets, where many -- with their faces covered with masks
because of tear gas and smoke -- refused to leave and appeared to be
reorganizing.

The move came shortly
after police warned demonstrators who have occupied Istanbul's last
remaining green space for more than two weeks to depart voluntarily or
face being ejected.

The protest that began
over Erdogan's plan to turn the park into a mall devolved into
anti-government demonstrations that has seen demands for political
reforms.

Erdogan said earlier in the day at a rally with supporters that if Gezi Park was not emptied, security forces would clear it.

"If it is not emptied, from now on, this country's security forces will know how to empty that place," he said.

It's the Divan Hotel across from the north (Harbiye)
entrance to the park. The Marmara Hotel on the south side of Taxim
Square was also used by volunteer doctors for some of the 29 (last I
saw) injured.

One of my Turkish friends on FB says to expect
bogus claims that the police found guns, narcotics and other illegal
items in the camping areas to be published by the "so called press"
tomorrow "with no mention of the four and five-year-old children left
breathless by excessive use of teargas". I'm sure any such claims about
guns, narcotics and such will be exactly that, bogus.